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45 Comments
- benologist, on 11/29/2008, -2/+34I think the issue's a lot bigger than Microsoft, everyone does it. Dell, Apple, HP, Adobe, they all have very different prices around the world for the same things. Hopefully this will have an effect on a whole lot of companies.
- dagr8tim, on 11/30/2008, -1/+27FTA: This guy was trying to resell software he got through Egypt's subsidy of MS software, and replacing the software with counterfit software that was sold in Egypt. The legit software was then resold in the US for a profit.
Sounds like a software pirate got caught, and is trying to wiggle out of/muddle up the issue. - MacSuxWindozSux, on 11/30/2008, -2/+20Now they're not allowed to set their own prices?
- Pake, on 11/30/2008, -3/+18Different countries means different laws and taxes, so obviously this means different prices. Not to mention, I don't think Microsoft is too happy with the EU always wanting to charge them fines just because they need more funding.
- Protonz, on 11/30/2008, -3/+17If only there was a free open source alternative... if only...
FTA: "There is a huge price difference, and Microsoft uses its intellectual property to control that."
Microsoft does not create intellectual property laws, the government does, so shouldn't this guy be complaining about the root of the problem instead of one of the symptoms? - LocalDocal, on 11/30/2008, -2/+10Yeah, but in most cases, it's justified due to various pricing structures. I'm not familiar with IT industry pricing standards, but as a video game enthusiast, I know that video game prices often differ enormously in regions. The reasons is usually due to localization (PAL/NTSC, translation, etc), shipping, market potential, and etc.
If this case does go through, it could indeed have wide ranging effects, but truthfully, from the sound of the article, it seems almost like a retaliation lawsuit from someone who was previously sued by Microsoft. - twiztidsinz, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7Isn't that more counterfeiting / scamming than pirating?
Either way... I agree. He's just trying to point the finger somewhere else. - inactive, on 11/30/2008, -1/+7A couple of things spring to mind. First, apparently the company that brought this suit hasn't been paying anything for Microsoft software, as the article states they have been sued for selling counterfeit software by Microsoft. Second, the fluctuation of the dollar lately makes it harder to track exactly what the price difference was. If it is thirty to fifty percent higher now it may very well have been on par when Microsoft set the price. The dollar hasn't fared well against the Euro lately. I think this is a case of a crook trying to apply the fourth law of thermodynamics, i.e. when the heat is on someone else it isn't on you.
- MikeCerm, on 11/30/2008, -1/+6That's exactly what I thought. Not only does is Microsoft always paying out huge fines, the EU also demanded that a special version of Windows (without Media Player) be made just for them. Furthermore, there's the added cost of doing so many different localizations for all the different languages.
In the end, Microsoft can charge whatever they want, and they shouldn't have to justify it. Since they do have such a strong market position, it would be nice if they would not be so abusive, but they're only charging what the market will pay. If they did drop their prices, they'd probably just get sued by the EU for trying to use price to push competitors out (the way they did to Netscape when they started giving IE away for free).
Also, don't German vehicles (and beers) cost more in America than they do in Germany? Deal with it. - sab0tage, on 11/30/2008, -0/+5When they started spelling words incorrectly!
- benologist, on 11/30/2008, -1/+6There are plenty of variables but at the end of the day it's still a thousand dollars more expensive to buy Adobe CS4 Master Collection if you're in England vs. the USA.
Same product, $1000 more expensive. Tell me that's right?
Also I'm not defending the guy suing MS, he sounds dodgy as *****. But I do hope he wins so that companies are forced to evaluate their international pricing. - motters, on 11/30/2008, -0/+4This goes much wider than Microsoft. People in Europe and especially the UK tend to get ripped off, with identical goods in the US being sold at a substantially lower price when you do the exchange rate conversion. This applies to software, electrical goods, cars, and many other things.
- TheSabre, on 11/30/2008, -4/+8That's fine. As a consumer, I won't purchase your product; I will instead purchase your competitor's, of course.
Yes, it's fair. - Koushiro, on 11/30/2008, -0/+3Probably a slow news day.
- DigitalisAkujin, on 11/30/2008, -1/+4Companies don't have to charge the same amount world wide. It's 'this' price. Pay it or leave it.
- eadnams, on 11/30/2008, -2/+5The EU gets a massive hardon from mkaing MS's life hell in the EU... they're still on the anti-trust suit from the 90's... It's really stupid.
- Yazilliclick, on 11/30/2008, -0/+3If you're buying products outside of the main market or the place their really made then of course it's going to be more expensive. Europe as a whole is a good example where it can get much more expensive to do business software wise due to the miriad of different languages in such a relatively small area. This is ignoring all the different rating systems, packaging laws, import laws etc... that all have to be met and can cost a fair bit. Also setting up separate support lines. If you want to complain about the prices at least research why they are higher, perhaps even ask adobe, before just complaining and saying they should be forced by the courts to set them lower.
- SawButter, on 11/30/2008, -1/+4How can you hate Dutch ladies ?
- surferjoemaui, on 11/30/2008, -0/+2Maybe the digg algorithm factors in how many people clicked through to the article but did not actually digg the article. (like myself) ;-)
- Protonz, on 11/30/2008, -0/+2100% agree. But that is still a problem with the government.
Many regulations are put into place by the dominant players in a field to increase the barriers to entry. Even Google isn't big enough to fight this corruption. They were recently in DC trying to fight for unused wireless spectrum to be open to the public for innovation, but they were setup to fail by the government working with the existing monopolistic telecoms. - IFEice, on 11/30/2008, -1/+2In for a penny, in for a pound.
Give me a ***** break. - sab0tage, on 11/30/2008, -6/+7I'll sell you my products, but since you are American I will charge you 30% more than the Canadians, you will have to pay shipping and duty on that of course.
Sound fair? - inactive, on 11/30/2008, -1/+2I'm guessing he's related to this guy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TGa12R6heI - zdiggler, on 11/30/2008, -13/+14SO... Make you own software!!
Front page and only 67 digg.. hmm. - twiztidsinz, on 11/30/2008, -3/+4Since when is "American" a language?
- sab0tage, on 11/30/2008, -0/+1Kazbaeden,
I mentioned import duty to exclude all of those factors, it wasn't specifically a Microsoft only argument, many goods cost far more in the UK than they do even in mainland Europe, that's after factoring high rate of VAT. It's simply that goods cost more at the supplier's side (unfairly IMO), and obviously as a result of VAT and the retailers markup, the consumer pays more. - sab0tage, on 11/30/2008, -1/+2@ TheSabre
That's only good if I didn't have a monopoly on the product, which I do. So you can't get it anywhere else... You could buy it from Canada, and add your retail % on top, but I don't like grey imports so I will sue you. - smotpoker, on 11/30/2008, -4/+5"Microsoft does not create intellectual property laws" - Create? Probably not. But they do significantly influence via various means. From bribery to lobbying to monopolistic/unfair business agreements, they often do manage to influence standards and regulations somehow or another it seems..
- pyrates, on 11/30/2008, -0/+1And we here in Canada also get higher prices compared to the US dollar due to the dollar fluctuating in price, but it's not illegal.
- sab0tage, on 11/30/2008, -0/+1I've no need to know about US taxes, since the only ones I need to be aware of are the ones the UK government demand. Customs and Excise will demand the Import duty on the goods, VAT will be passed on to consumers, other taxes aren't related to the product I am importing/reselling so they don't make any difference to my argument.
To sum up: you're wrong. - doshindude, on 11/30/2008, -0/+1What the hell is this, a soap opera?
- Kazbaeden, on 11/30/2008, -0/+1sab0tage,
jazzbeaux is saying that there are factors that can add to the price of a product in a different country other than taxes. There's the cost of distribution, the cost of international facilities, the cost of complying with laws and regulations (labor laws, environmental laws, corporate taxes), the cost of international management, the cost of international supplies, the size of the market, etc.
In any market, these are factors which contribute to the price of a product. - seansadigger, on 11/30/2008, -3/+3good argument
- jazzbeaux, on 11/30/2008, -1/+1It's obvious you've never run a business. Costs of business can vary wildly from country to country (or even state to state in the US) for many factors other than taxes and translations....
- mhmdkhamis, on 02/04/2009, -0/+0FTA: This guy was trying to resell software he got through Egypt's subsidy of MS http://hotminiclip.com/Miniclip-13-Car_Games-1.htm ... software, and replacing the software with counterfit software that was sold in Egypt. The legit software was then resold in the US for a profit.
- FearTheHobbits, on 11/30/2008, -2/+1I don't. I was just watching Goldmember. I'm going to go cry and masturbate now.
- brandita, on 11/30/2008, -2/+1I bet you software isn't they only thing they deal...
- rebo2, on 11/30/2008, -2/+1LOL, welcome to 1997, Holland.
- biggestprick, on 11/30/2008, -2/+1What the hell are you talking about? Why don't you just tell the whole world your business. Is Derrek doing somethin illegal?
- sab0tage, on 11/30/2008, -6/+5That's not quite the case. VAT registered companies won't have to pay VAT, as that will be passed on to the consumer. They would have to pay import duty though if it was manufactured outside of the EEC (European Economic Community), and when you factor in that expense, it still usually doesn't work out. The government takes those taxes anyway, so the value Microsoft (or any company for that matter) charges should be the same. You could attribute additional expense to translations maybe, but English isn't that dissimilar to American that it would take more than a search and replace routine to correct the spelling, so the variation in US/UK cost price should be minimal, but it's not.
- jazzbeaux, on 11/30/2008, -3/+1The freaks in the EU have a habit of creating assinine laws that are nebulous and vague, then hammering non-EU (especially American) businesses for anything they want.
It's high time US businesses pulled out of the EU and left them to their own devices. - FearTheHobbits, on 11/30/2008, -8/+2There's only two things I hate in this world: People who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch.
- inactive, on 11/30/2008, -9/+3Derrek i know you are on digg and if you can read this get out of the house now. i just saw a car pull up and 3 guys got out. one of is that guy from 2 days ago who was looking for you. If you are there leave NOW. i've called the police. is your phone off? I can't text or call you. get back to me pLEASE!!!!
- HimThatSpeaks, on 11/30/2008, -7/+0It seems like there is an article like this on Digg at least daily. I don't really care about them and they don't seem important.
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